Key Ingredients of our MA Digital Experience Design Programme

Most prospective students, professionals, journalists, and team leaders are curious about our MA programme and have a lot of questions about what makes it different.

They want to know who it’s designed for, what the curriculum and experience will be like, and what our students will do after they graduate. So, we’ve put together a list of the programme’s ten key ingredients.

1. We designed this MA Degree Programme because industry asked for it

It’s that simple. There is a significant demand for Experience Designers who can bring empathy and sensitivity to their work, regardless of the tools and technologies at their disposal. The industry is searching for talented people who can understand the business context whilst translating needs into meaningful products and services. Hyper Island MA graduates will work as User Centred Designers, User Experience Designers, Service Designers, Digital Designers and more.

2. We get deep very quickly

All our courses start with a Hyper Island Way Week. This is an intense week where you learn unique tools and processes that will support you throughout the programme. You work on building the class culture, setting goals and building yourselves as a team. This week is focused on leadership, personal development and learning key tools around feedback and reflection. We introduce you to models such as the Johari Window, which was developed in 1955 by two American psychologists to help people better understand their relationship with themselves and others. Overall, it’s an intensive fortnight allowing you to focus on your own self awareness, self leadership and team dynamics. You will be immersed in scenarios to explore what lies outside your comfort zone, to develop relationships and nurture collaboration.

3. Extremely diverse crews

The current Hyper Island Digital Media Management MA has a crew of 23 students representing 16 different nationalities. The first group of Digital Experience Design MA students will have the benefit of studying alongside the next Digital Media Management MA crew, creating a diverse, stimulating learning environment. This also means that you will be surrounded by at least 50 people who come from a background and a culture entirely different to yours, and there will be frequent opportunities to collaborate and work together.

4. There are no teachers - renowned practitioners teach you

There are no academics at Hyper Island. We approach learning and work in two distinct yet connected parts; the content and the process, or “what you do/learn/experience” and “how you do/learn/experience it”.

Industry professionals coach you through each project, which contains talks, workshops, and debates with a range of professionals. They all aim to give you different perspectives on current ideas in the industry, and to encourage you to challenge established ways of working and thinking.

You will be exposed to the diversity that is represented in the industry, with leaders from agencies such as UsTwo, Doberman, DigitasLBI and IDEO and also smaller businesses and individual thought leaders. You will also be taught by smaller outfits and individual thought leaders who are trailblazing new ways of working such as Scott Sherwood and Tom Metcalfe.

5. The briefs you work on will be real

The clients that work with you on the programme will be real and the briefs will be live. We work with clients such as Unilever, Greenpeace and the NHS. Meaning? You’ll gain experience of working in a pressured environment with cutting edge technologies in industries that are on the cusp of disruption. Not only will it give you a taste of real-world projects, it will also equip you with the skills needed to carry out these projects above and beyond the standard expected by industry.

6. Our network is a formidable force

Hyper Island is a world-leading learning school with over 3,000 alumni around the world. Through The World of Hyper Island, you immediately have a connection to these graduates who are working all over the world in innovative organisations. You will graduate with a wealth of networks across sectors and countries which will open up opportunities to collaborate, develop ideas and work with a mentor.

7. Hyper Island is designed for learning

We believe the environment you work in has a huge role to play in your learning journey.

Our school is made up of:

Areas designed for loud idea creation where the atmosphere can electrify in a second

A production area where the focus is on doing, not talking

A reflective, quiet area to recharge, take some thinking space, and for many, a bit of space to re-energise

Oh, and a lovely kitchen and eating area so you can feel at home and stay healthy while you work

8. Going viral, getting your dream job and everything in between

Our graduates work for organisations such as Twitter, Google Labs, Adidas, Spotify and IKEA. Some go it alone to turn their ideas into reality and fund their projects through Kickstarter.

9. Empathy and translation above technical design skill

Delivering and designing an integrated, meaningful experience is a challenge and requires skill and talent. Translating the wisdom of technologists, business analysts and researchers into one single language requires empathy and translation. You will be exposed to a wide range of disciplines from UX, UI, Interaction Design, Graphic Design, Service Design and Systems Design to help you develop these attributes.

10. The future is yours to shape

Our students have gone onto to develop diverse careers within Experience Design. During their time at Hyper Island, many of them gain recognition through the sharing the insights they gain throughout our MA programme. Most recently, they created this medium publication to showcase their learnings.

Finally, we feel Experience Design matters. The programme explores new models such as systems thinking, stewardship and platform thinking to help create agents of change in a complex context. To find out more and to apply to the Digital Experience Design Degree MA, click here. Alternatively, if you have any questions or would like to get in touch, just contact Catherine.

A journey of lifelong learning

Hyper Island designs learning experiences that challenge companies and individuals to grow and stay competitive in an increasingly digitized world. More. We adhere to UN's Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. More.